Title: Destiny's Game 1/?
Author: Dee
Rating: PG (for this part)
Spoilers: Picks up after Season 6
Summary: This chapter peeks into a Slayer of the past, and Giles facing his own past as he returns with willow to England.
Pairings: this WILL be Buffy/Giles
Notes: It ahs been over a year since I sat down and wrote. Please bear with me. I am just getting my groove back.
Feedback: Please no flames, but constructive criticism and praises are always welcome
She sat by the window watching the raindrops fall from the sky. A peace comforted her as she the swollen stomach that held her child. Raised to believe she would never have a future as a woman and Catherine smiled thinking how she had beat the odds. As far back as she can remember she had been told she had a destiny to be a warrior, a slayer of vampires and demons. When her turn came, she was at first honored. What had been a life time goal though soon turned into her own personal hell. At first she was devastated and wanted to end her life. Her only reason to live was to slay vampires. She was never to grow old and have a family. Having been raised by her watcher she never knew her family. There was no one to turn to till she met Nigel.
Nigel was young and His mom had been a watcher. He was handsome and brilliant. She was staying at the manor and had been studying in the library. He had shown up against his will. She could tell that his Mom was the one making him be there. Nigel was the only one to talk to her that day in the library and a friendship soon turned into a budding romance, which they tried to keep secret.
Unfortunately his Mom, Lucille found out. Catherine remembered how upset Nigel was that night. His Mom had laid down an ultimatum. An ultimatum that changed their lives forever.
Giles and Anya had been working away cleaning up the Magic Shop. Anya the whole time talked and talked getting Giles up to speed as to everything that had happened while he was gone. He knew Anya was a vengeance demon again and wondered if he had stayed could he have changed things. This kind of thinking led to him wondering if he could have kept Willow from misusing magic. Which also led him to thinking about Buffy and all the hardship she had been through and ending up with Spike. He noticed how scared she was when telling him, and knew she didn't need him to lecture her or belittle her for sleeping with Spike. It did concern him that Spike was missing. Anya was too busy cleaning and talking she hardly noticed the Watcher's drifting thoughts.
Buffy entered the magic shop seeing Giles alive and well embraced him. Giles smiled at his slayers relief and was also glad she was well. He knew it was hard for her. He knew she felt that she had to always save the world. It was a burden she carried and it bothered him that anyone person had to carry such a burden. Buffy wanted to talk with him and lead him back to the remains of her work out room.
"Buffy, is Dawn ok too?" Giles asked.
"She is great and back at home."
"Alone?"
"Yes alone, she is a big girl now." Buffy laughed, "Hey I was her age when I started this gig remember?"
Giles smiled at Buffy's nonchalant ness of her calling, "I was wondering when you would realize she is growing up."
"So what do you plan on doing with the Magic Shop?" Buffy asked looking at the wreck surrounding them.
"I have insurance and will use it to rebuild and get back into business." Giles explained.
"So does this mean you are staying in Sunnydale?" Buffy asked smiling brightly into Giles' eyes.
"Yes, I do, eventually, but the Magic Shop is the least of my worries. I need to bring Willow back to England to face the coven. I am worried about Xander and Anya, but most importantly I am curious as to the whereabouts of Spike." Giles said pacing the ruins of the gym.
"When it comes to Spike, I think we have seen the last of him." Buffy grumbled rolling her eyes.
"How can you be so certain?"
"I just am." Buffy said vehemently.
Nigel hated his Mother's demands on his life. He never wanted to be a watcher and thought they were useless. He respected the Slayers and never dreamed of falling in love with one. What made it even worse, while he had been shipped away to attending private school; his Mother was raising a Slayer. The very same slayer he fell in love with and now she was carrying their baby. Their love was forbidden. A Slayer was destined to fight vampires and demons. She was not to waste her time with others things such as falling in love. Which is why they had to keep their love hidden from everyone.
He recalled his Mother's horror when she found out Catherine was pregnant. It got even worse when she found out that her son was the father. There really wasn't much anyone could do. She had them married immediately and tried to smooth things over with the council. The Slayer was pregnant and wanted to start a family with Nigel. No matter how disgusted others were, no matter how upset some got, nothing could reverse Nigel and Catherine's actions.
Giles had managed to book two flights back to England the very next day. The trip was a long and silent one. Neither Willow nor Giles knew what to say to each other. Willow was feeling awkward after she tried to kill Giles and now here she was with him flying to England to be held accountable for her actions. A part of her was a bit bitter. While she was full of magic, she learned something about Giles. She learned that he had killed Ben. She was upset that he hide such a thing and why was it ok for him to kill someone who was evil. Warren was evil and had killed Tara and almost killed Buffy. Still, willow knew what she had done was wrong, and was nervous about her encounter with the coven.
Giles sat quietly and his thoughts were rushed back to when he was younger. He knew how addicting magic was and how it can take over your life. It had almost cost him his life. He recalled what pushed him over the edge, the death of his love. He had felt as though he had died with her and blamed his father for it. He ran off and met Ethan and his whole life was changed, however not for the better.
He recalled how angry his father was when he told his Dad he didn't want to be a watcher and that he was leaving Oxford. His father had belittled him and called him stupid for falling in love. Giles remembered how it infuriated him, that his father put down love and wondered much about the mother he never knew. Who was this woman who could love such a cold heartless man.
Nigel held his son up high when he was born. Catherine exhausted and weary smiled up at the proud father.
Leaning down to his wife, he asked, "And what shall his name be my beloved?"
She caressed the infant's cheek in her husband's hands as she said, "Rupert"
Nigel nodded approvingly, "A perfect name for a perfect son."